Sag Harbor resident Tapp Francke is a self-described clinical nutritionist on a mission.
Over a decade ago she opened STANDWellness, an integrative health center in Water Mill with a focus on alternative and holistic practices, specifically considering digestive issues, gut health, chronic pain, chronic disease and microbial imbalance, among others. In essence, Francke’s goal is to be the place people go to look for answers when the meds don’t work.
“I had a chronic condition no traditional doctor could approach,” she says of her personal experience dealing with chronic Lyme disease. “The answer I kept getting from doctors was to take an anti-depressant, but I thought to myself, ‘I’m 35, I’m pretty happy. I don’t need an anti-depressant. I need to feel better.’”
What she did was begin to design a more comprehensive approach to general health. “It’s about finding the root deficiencies and then trying to figure out what the body needs, or doesn’t need, and to ultimately upgrade somebody’s biology.”
After finishing school for clinical nutrition it became apparent to Francke “the most effective thing is actually dealing with your diet and lifestyle, rather than be on a hamster wheel of meds.”
But how do you do it? According to Francke, it’s better to take a broad approach to improve habits, noting the first steps are to address those basic pillars of health, specifically eating real food in its whole form. “The goal here is to create a comprehensive plan to create a stronger immune system,” she says.
“I have a ton of people [who] come into my office that only eat one meal a day, and that isn’t necessarily good,” she says, noting the importance of using food as a vehicle toward nourishing your body. “That and drinking more water, being outside in the sun and prioritizing your sleep.”
This is where she and her team at STANDWellness can truly help by integrating better health practices into individual schedules, while paying specific attention to one’s body-specific microbiome and ultimately maintaining exceptional gut health.
In addition to the extensive nutrition consultations, strategies and meal plans offered other services available at STANDWellness run the gamut, including infrared saunas, health coaching, epigenetic analysis, hydrogen therapy and biomagnetism. Francke is certified in pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, a therapy that utilizes high intensity, short duration electromagnetic pulses of energy that penetrate the body and ultimately stimulate and regulate better cell function. “Cells work the best when they’re communicating with each other,” she says. PEMF therapy has been proved to improve symptoms associated with arthritis, depression, osteoporosis, Parkinson’s and acute conditions like bone fractures, joint sprains and post-operative inflammation.
There are four treatment rooms within the 800 square-foot space at STANDWellness. An initial consultation with Francke is $595, while follow ups are $250. However, there are package deals available that Francke says make the treatments and assessments more affordable.
STANDWellness also serves as a supplement and vitamin shop, offering clean beauty products, gut care supplements and other natural health products available for purchase.
For Francke, it’s all about investing in your health. “We ultimately want to help make your body function more efficiently,” she says.
Open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and by appointment. STANDWellness is located at 50 Station Road, Building 3 Unit 1 in Water Mill. Call 631-500-9021 for more information.
